Trembling
by Plasma Snow
Summary: Based on the Whumptober prompt 'Trembling'. October 20th, Trembling. Modern AU. Hiccup is facing the effects of PTSD induced by the accident he'd been through that took his leg and the current storm that is bringing back old, bad memories. With the help of Toothless and his once-thought-to-be-dead mother, maybe he can find comfort during his panic attack.


**October 20th-Trembling**

Hiccup sat on his knees, face held in his hands as he shook violently. He was beside his bed, finding the hard flooring of his bedroom more comforting than the soft mattress. He needed something to ground him.

At 18 years old Hiccup thought he'd overcome this. It had been so long since he'd had such a severe panic attack. Then, during the current severe thunder storm, lightning had struck a tree and caught it on fire. The fire went out almost immediately because of the rain, but Hiccup found his heart racing and teeth chattering.

It was four years ago he'd been in the accident. While on a car trip out of country in an attempt to further his language skills, Hiccup and his father were caught in a deadly storm while Stoick drove the car. They swerved off the rode, another large red truck getting caught in the collision. They all landed in the creak next to them, Stoick and the other man dying instantly from head collisions. Hiccup on the other hand had hardly survived. He'd climbed out of the car, his left leg from the knee down bleeding and torn up after the dashboard had crushed him. To make matters worse the window had shattered and he had glass in his arms, right cheek, and left knee.

Just as soon as Hiccup had reached the road the explosion happened, burning his back and leaving scars that would be there for the rest of his life, making his skin look inhuman. He was found two hours later when the fire fighters had put out the fire. They'd thought he was dead, but realized he was barely breathing and _conscious. _

Hiccup wished every day that he had fallen unconscious that fateful night. Then he wouldn't have remembered the explosion. Wouldn't have remembered the look of his mauled knee. Wouldn't have been able to smell the burning flesh of his own father.

Hiccup now lived his mother. After the accident when he was fourteen he'd went to live with his 'uncle' Gobber who was really just a very close friend of his own father's. Two years later when he was sixteen Hiccup's mother-Valka Haddock-had found out about the incident. She'd run away when he was little, leaving him with his father.

In the past two years they'd somehow managed to make amends, Hiccup forgiving the woman who called herself his mother even though her face was so foreign to his memory.

Speaking of said woman, Hiccup heard a knock on his door. Through gasps for air he managed a weak 'come in', sliding the key under the door so she could unlock it. Valka was inside within seconds, a small black cat with acid green eyes and an unbelievably intelligent mind for a feline following in her tracks.

Hiccup somehow managed to smile despite his trembling and fear when he spotted the feline he'd bonded with years ago. Toothless was his name, having ran away when he was a kitten and returning four years later when Hiccup was fourteen, just before the accident had happened. Hiccup sometimes joked about Toothless being 'bad luck' because of the impeccable timing, but in reality they both knew he was just trying to laugh through the pain he still felt to this day.

He couldn't even be near a camp fire.

As said before Hiccup's leg was mangled in the accident. He now wore a metal prosthetic leg from the knee down where Toothless purred and nuzzled, knowing his owner felt more comfortable without the fake limb but was afraid to remove it during storms in case he needed to up and bolt.

Valka kneeled by her son and placed on his knee. A staring contest went on for a moment before Hiccup finally looked away, grunting defiantly but nodding his head. Valka made quick work of removing the face leg, and as soon as it was removed Toothless curled up in the crook of his owner's bent knee with his head perched on Hiccup's right thigh.

Hiccup pet Toothless, still shaking but trying to breath deeply. Thunder sounded in the distance and the rain began to fall harder. Valka-knowing her son wouldn't ask for help willingly because of his stubborn pride-threw her arms around Hiccup and pulled him close while making sure not to hurt Toothless. Said cat stood and crawled up Hiccup's body so he was perched on the boy's bony shoulder.

"I miss him. I-I miss him and my leg." Hiccup whispered. Only his mother, Gobber, and Toothless would ever see this side of him. No one else except for his girlfriend on very rare occasions ever even saw him cry, regardless of the circumstances.

He was just like his father.

"I know Hiccup. I know."

Valka rubbed soothing circles in Hiccup's back in tune with Toothless' purrs until the boy finally fell asleep for an early night. Valka left the two boys alone on the floor after setting Hiccup's head on a pillow and covering him with a blanket.

Toothless lay beside Hiccup's head, kneading the boy's shoulder who sighed contently at the comforting gesture. The black cat would occasionally hiss at the thunder when it was too loud and he thought it might wake his owner off. He needed to scare the storm away. Hiccup wasn't feeling well and needed his sleep.

With a loud, rather exaggerated yawn, Toothless stretched and realized he probably needed sleep too.

He could close his eyes for a bit, so long as his Hiccup was safe.


End file.
